In the port of AmsterdamThere's a sailor who singsOf the dreams that he bringsFrom the wide open seaIn the port of AmsterdamThere's a sailor who sleepsWhile the river bank weepsTo the old willow tree

In the port of AmsterdamThere's a sailor who diesFull of beer, full of criesIn a drunken town fightIn the port of AmsterdamThere's a sailor who's bornOn a hot muggy mornBy the dawn's early light

In the port of AmsterdamWhere the sailors all meetThere's a sailor who eatsOnly fish heads and tailsAnd he'll show you his teethThat have rotted too soonThat can haul up the sailsThat can swallow the moon

And he yells to the cookWith his arms open wide"Hey, bring me more fishThrow it down by my side"And he wants so to belchBut he's too full to trySo he stands up and laughsAnd he zips up his fly

In the port of AmsterdamYou can see sailors dancePaunches bursting their pantsGrinding women to porchThey've forgotten the tuneThat their whiskey voice crookedSplitting the nightWith the roar of their jokes

And they turn and they danceAnd they laugh and they lustTill the rancid sound of the accordion burstsAnd then out of the nightWith their pride in their pantsAnd the sluts that they towUnderneath the street lamps

In the port of AmsterdamThere's a sailor who drinksAnd he drinks and he drinksAnd he drinks once againHe'll drink to the healthOf the whores of AmsterdamWho've given their bodiesTo a thousand other men

Yeah, they've bargained their virtueTheir goodness all goneFor a few dirty coinsWell he just can't go onThrows his nose to the skyAnd he aims it up aboveAnd he pisses like I cryOn the unfaithful love